Counter reset clutch



Oct. 25, 1955 G. L. MANKE COUNTER RESET CLUTCH Filed Jan. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/GZ INVENTOR. GUSTAVE L. MANKE TORNEYS Oct. 25, 1955 G. MANKE 2,721,703

COUNTER RESET CLUTCH Filed Jan. 28, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GS A TORNEYS United States Patent COUNTER RESET CLUTCH Gustave L. Manke, Bloomfield, C0nn., assiguor to Veeder- Root Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 28, 1954, Serial No. 486,687 6 Claims. (Cl. 235-144) This invention relates to counters for use in registering the operations of dispensing apparatus or the like. The invention relates in particular to improved clutching means affording a driving connection between the number Wheels of such counters and the related dispensing apparatus, and adapted to be operated by the resetting of the counter to insure disconnection of all driving engagement between the number wheels and the dispensing apparatus, and locking of the number wheels against inadvertent rotation during all times except when the counter is performing a registering operation.

The principal object of the invention is to provide for counters of the aforesaid type an improved driving con nection of simplified construction which will insure reliable and accurate resetting of the counter and prevent development of inaccurate readings due to vibration or the like, or due to occasional use of the associated dispensing apparatus without coincident use of the counter.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation view of a counter with which the present invention may be employed;

Figure 2 is a front View of the counter of Figure 1, partially sectionalized to show the arrangement of certain parts, and constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the structure of Figure 2, taken on the line 33 thereof;

Figure 4 is a view to an enlarged scale of one of the number wheel assemblies in the counter of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view to an enlarged scale of a portion of the structure of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the relation of the parts at an intermediate stage in the operation of the device.

Referring to the drawings, a counter of the type with which the present invention may be employed includes a frame 2 having spaced side plates 4, 6 journaling a wheel supporting and reset shaft 8 for rotary movement and for limited axial movement. The reset shaft 8 is biased in a left-hand direction, as shown in Figure 2, by a compression spring It acting between a retainer 12 secured to the frame and a collar 14 pinned to reset shaft 8. The collar 14 bears against side plate 4 of frame 2 to limit axial displacement of reset shaft 8 in the left-hand direction. A collar 15 spaces the number wheels from retainer 12.

Mounted on reset shaft 8 is a plurality of number wheels 20, 22, etc. bearing numerals from zero to nine and operatively connected so that, upon a complete rotation of a wheel of a lower denominational order, the wheel of next higher order is advanced one number.

Within each number wheel is pivotally mounted the usual reset pawl 24, which is urged by a spring 26 against reset shaft 8 and engages a longitudinally extending groove or spline 28 in the reset shaft to rotate the number wheels to the proper reset position when the reset shaft is retated counterclockwise as shown in Figure 4.

Each number wheel has a driving connection which includes a clutch in the form of a ratchet wheel 30 supported on reset shaft 8 alongside the number wheel. Within each number wheel is pivotally supported a drive pawl 32 which is biased outwardly by a spring 34 into driving engagement with one of the ten notches 36 in the peripheral flange of ratchet wheel 30. With this arrangement, during a registering operation of the counter the rotation of a ratchet wheel 30 counterclockwise as shown in Figure 4 causes a corresponding advance of its number wheel, while rotation of a number wheel in the same direction during a resetting operation merely cams its drive pawl 32 past the notches in ratchet wheel 30,

and the number wheel is reset without disturbing its ratchet wheel. Rotation of a number wheel relative to its ratchet wheel 38 during other than a resetting operation is prevented by a projection 4-0 on reset pawl 24, which engages the notches of the ratchet wheel when reset pawl is not in groove 28.

Each ratchet wheel 30, except that associated with the number wheel 22 of lowest denominational order, has secured to its side opposite the number wheel the usual driven gear 42. Each driven gear 42 is connected through the usual transfer pinion arrangement, not shown, and two-toothed segment 44 carried by each number wheel, to the corresponding driven gears of the ratchet wheels of adjacent denominational orders so that, upon a complete rotation of a number wheel of a lower order, the number wheel of the next higher order is advanced one number.

The driving connection for the lowest denominational order number wheel 22, at the right-hand end of shaft in Figure 2, is formed by a ratchet wheel 46 and a driven gear 48 which is adapted to engage an idler gear 50 of a drive train 52 connected to the apparatus whose operation the counter is employed to register. Driven gear 48 is not secured directly to the ratchet wheel 46, but is carried by a pair of circumferentially spaced pins 54 which extend outwardly from ratchet wheel 46 parallel to the axis of reset shaft 8. Thus driven gear 48 can rotate ratchet wheel 46 but also is capable of sliding axially relative thereto. Driven gear 48 is supported on reset shaft 8 for axial displacement therewith, as by means of a collar 56 pinned to the reset shaft.

The driven gear 48 has ten holes 60 equally spaced on a circumference concentric with wheel shaft 8. Projecting from side plate 6 opposite driven gear 48 is a locking device or shoulder in the form of a pin 62 spaced from wheel shaft 8 at the same radius as holes 60 in gear 48 and so positioned as to be aligned with and interengage each of the various holes 60 as the gear 48 rotates to bring the number wheel 22 to its various full figure positions. The arrangement is such that when reset shaft 8 is displaced axially to its right-hand position, driven gear 48 slides axially 0n pins 54 far enough to disengage from idler gear 50 and receive pin 62 in one of the holes 60 to lock the driven gear against rotation. To allow yielding movement axially if pin 62 is not perfectly aligned with a hole 60 when driven gear 48 is displaced, hub of the driven gear is resiliently maintained in contact with collar 56 by a compression spring 58, which acts between the driven gear and the ratchet wheel and also serves to hold the number wheels in place against collar 15 on reset shaft 8. This resilient connection may be reversed, if desired, so that pin 62 is spring mounted 3 and driven gear 48 is fixed to collar 56 for sliding movement therewith.

Reset shaft 8 extends outwardly beyond the side plate 6 of frame 2. Mounted for rotation on this extension of shaft 8 is a driven cam gear 70, which is spaced from the side of frame 2 by a sleeve 72. The periphery of driven cam gear 70 is interrupted by four arcuate locking recesses 74. Fixed to the outer end of shaft 8 is a reset driven gear 76 having on its periphery an arcuate recess 78. On the opposed faces of reset driven gear 76 and driven cam gear 70 are end cams 80, 82 which are adapted to cooperate to cause axial displacement of shaft 8 in response to relative rotation of the reset driven gear 76 and driven cam gear 70.

Supported in frame 2 in spaced parallel relation with shaft 8 is a reset operating shaft 84 on which is fixed for rotation a reset driving and control member 86 which includes a reset driving gear 88 in the form of a 180 segment adapted to mesh with the reset driven gear 76, and a segmental driving cam gear 90 adapted to mesh with the driven cam gear 70. The teeth of driving cam gear 90 are formed on the periphery of a locking flange 92 which is adapted to engage in the arcuate recesses 74 in the periphery of the driven cam gear 70.

Disposed between the gears 88, 98 of reset driving and control member 86 is a locking disk 94 having the same radius as the recess 78 in reset driven gear 76. During rotation of shaft 84, disk 94 engages the inner side of gear 76 when shaft 8 is axially displaced, and holds the gear 76 and shaft 8 in displaced position, as shown in Figure 6. Disk 94 has along its periphery on its outer face a slight rib 96 disposed generally opposite reset driving gear 88. Spaced 90 apart on the rib 96 are two flats 98, 108 which are adapted to line up with the recess 78 on the reset driven gear 76 during rotation of the control member 86. When flats 98, 100 are aligned with recess 78, reset driven gear 76 is turned backward slightly by tension spring 102 connected through link 104 to eccentric 106 on gear 76. This insures that no reset pawls 24 will inadvertently be missed by the groove 28 in reset shaft 8 during a resetting operation.

The operation of the device Will now be described. Starting with the parts in the position shown in the drawings, the mechanism is in condition for a registering operation. While the rotation of the number wheels by drive train 52 through driven gear 48 is being carried out during the registering operation, the reset driving and control member 86 remains stationary.

After the registering operation has been completed,

when it is desired to reset the counter, the operating shaft 84 is first rotated 360", through what may be termed its first reset cycle. This rotation of shaft 84 causes a 90 rotation of driven cam gear 70 by driving cam gear 90, which engages cams 80, 82 and moves reset shaft 8 to the right to engage the reset driven gear 76 with the reset driving gear 88. This also engages the periphery of locking flange 92 in one of recesses 74 in driven cam gear 70 to prevent its further rotation.

Axial displacement of reset shaft 8 to the right carries with it collar 56 and permits a corresponding displacement of driven gear 48 to the right. This disengages gear 48 from idler 50 and allows pin 62 to enter one of the holes 60 in the driven gear 48, which locks the driven gear against rotation during the resetting cycle. Since driven gear 48 is locked against rotation, this holds pins 54 and locks the ratchet wheel 46, which prevents any movement thereof during rotation of the lowest denominational order number wheel 22 during the reset operation.

The additional rotation of operating shaft 84 brings flats 98, 100 into engagement with recess 78 in reset driven gear 76 and permits spring 102 to move reset shaft 8 slightly backward to insure picking up all the reset pawls 24 during the resetting operation. As reset driving gear 88 engages reset driven gear 76, the end of rib 96 is simultaneously rotated out of recess 78, thus freeing reset driven gear 76 to turn. Reset driven gear 76 then rides on the edge of locking disk 94 and holds the reset shaft 8 displaced to the right, as shown in Figure 6. The remaining portion of the 360 rotation of operating shaft 84 advances the reset shaft 180 to reset the number wheels to their all five position, i. e. the partially reset position in which all the number wheels read five or higher. During this rotation of the reset shaft, reset driven gear 76 continues to ride on locking disk 94 and maintains the reset shaft in its right-hand position.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that the displacement of the reset shaft to the right, in order to begin the resetting operation, insures that the driven gear 48 is disconnected from engagement with the drive train 52 and positively secured against rotation due to vibration or the like by pin 62. If thereafter it is desired to operate the apparatus with which the counter is employed, without using the counter to register the operation, turning of the drive train 52 and idler gear 50 will not turn driven gear 48, and the position of the number wheels will not be disturbed by rotation of the drive train. This eliminates the possibility of any movement of the number Wheels which, upon their subsequent further resetting from the all five position to the zero position, would cause them to read other than zero.

The next time it is desired to perform a registering operation, the counter is made ready by again turning the operating shaft 84 through'360, clockwise as shown in Figure 1, through what may be termed its second reset cycle. The first part of this rotation of operating shaft 84 turns reset shaft 8 through 180 and resets all the number wheels to zero. Further rotation of operating shaft 84 aligns recess 78 in reset driven gear 76 with the clockwise end of rib 96 and fiat 100, so that further rotation of reset driving gear permits reset driven gear 76 to fall off the edge of locking disk 94, and permits spring 10 to return the reset shaft to the left. When reset shaft 8 returns to the left, collar 56 displaces driven gear 48 from engagement with pin 62 and returns it into driving engagement with the idler 58 of the drive train 52, properly aligned so that number wheel 22 reads zero accurately in the full figure position.

Further rotation of operating shaft 84 also advances driven cam gear another while engaging locking disk 94 with recess 78 to prevent further rotation of reset driven gear 76, or reset shaft 8, and thus properly positions the cams 80, 82 to initiate displacement of reset shaft 8 to the right during the first part of the next resetting operation.

The counter is then ready for a registering operation, with accurate alignment of the number wheels having been insured by disengagement of driven gear 48 from idler 50, and locking it against rotation by means of pin 62, regardless of how long a period has passed, or how much the drive train 52 may have been rotated in the interim.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently Widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. In a counter, a rotatable and axially movable shaft, number wheels on said shaft, a driving gear for rotating said number wheels, a ratchet wheel on one of said number wheels connected to rotate said number wheel in one direction and being rotatable relative thereto in the other direction, a driving connection between said driving gear and ratchet wheel, reset means for axially displacing and rotating said shaft in said one direction to reset said number wheels, means for locking said ratchet wheel against rotation responsive to axial displacement of said shaft, and means for interrupting said driving connection during axial displacement of said shaft.

2. In a counter, a rotatable and axially movable shaft, number wheels on said shaft including a number Wheel of lowest denominational order, a ratchet wheel on said shaft for driving said number wheel in one direction, a reset pawl in said number wheel for resetting the same responsive to rotation of said shaft in said one direction, a driven gear slidably and rotatively connected to said ratchet wheel, means supporting said driven gear on said shaft for axial displacement therewith, locking means engaging said driven gear to prevent rotation thereof when said shaft is displaced, a drive train adapted to rotatively engage said driven gear except when said shaft is displaced, and reset means for axially displacing said shaft and rotating said shaft in said one direction.

3. In a counter, a rotatable and axially displaceable shaft having a reset groove, a number wheel on said shaft operatively connected with number wheels of higher denominational order, a ratchet wheel on said shaft for driving said number wheel in one direction to advance the reading thereof, a reset pawl in said number wheel adapted to be picked up by said reset groove to reset said number wheel when said shaft is rotated in said one direction, a drive train, a driven gear mounted on said shaft in engagement with said drive train and axially displaceable with said shaft out of engagement with said drive train, a slidable connection between said driven gear and said ratchet wheel for maintaining driving engagement thereof during axial displacement of said shaft, a shoulder on said frame for engaging said driven gear to prevent rotation thereof when said shaft is displaced, reset means for rotating said shaft in said one direction, and control means for maintaining said shaft in axially displaced position during its rotation.

4. In a counter having a rotatable and axially movable shaft provided with a reset groove and a plurality of interconnected number wheels on said shaft having reset pawls adapted to be picked up by said groove when said shaft is rotated in one direction, ratchet wheels on said shaft for driving said number wheels in said one direction, a driven gear for rotating the ratchet wheel of lowest denominational order, means mounting said driven gear on said shaft for axial movement therewith, a drive train operatively connected to said driven gear except when said driven gear is axially displaced, a pin adapted to engage and lock said driven gear against rotation responsive to axial displacement thereof, a slidable connection between said lowest order ratchet wheel and said driven gear, reset means for rotating said shaft in said one direction, and reset control means for displacing said shaft axially.

5. In a counter, a rotatable and axially movable shaft provided with a reset groove, number wheels on said shaft including a number wheel of lowest denominational order, ratchet wheels on said shaft connected to drive said number wheels in one direction to advance the reading thereof and being rotatable relative thereto in the other direction, reset pawls in said number wheels adapted to be picked up by said reset groove to reset said number wheels responsive to rotation of said shaft in said one direction, a projection on each respective reset pawl adapted to engage a respective ratchet wheel to prevent rotation of said number wheels relative to said ratchet wheels except when said reset pawls are engaged by said reset groove, a drive train, a driven gear mounted on said shaft in engagement with said drive train and disengageable from said drive train responsive to axial displacement of said shaft, a plurality of pins on said lowest order number wheel slidably engaging said driven gear for maintaining driving engagement therewith during axial displacement of said shaft, a stop pin on said frame, a plurality of holes in said driven gear adapted to be aligned with said stop pin in the full figure positions of said number wheel for receiving said stop pin to prevent rotation of said driven gear when said shaft is displaced, and resetting means for axially displacing and rotating said shaft to reset said number wheels.

6. In a counter, a frame supporting a rotatable and axially displaceable shaft provided with a reset groove, a plurality of number wheels on said shaft, ratchet wheels on said shaft connected to drive said number wheels in one direction to advance the reading thereof and being rotatable relative thereto in the other direction, reset pawls in said number wheels adapted to be picked up by said reset groove to reset said number wheels when said shaft is rotated in said one direction, a projection on each respective reset pawl adapted to engage a respective ratchet wheel to prevent rotation of said number wheels relative to said ratchet wheels except when said reset pawls are picked up by said reset groove, a drive train, a driven gear mounted on said shaft in engagement with said drive train and axially displaceable with said shaft out of engagement with said drive train, a plurality of pins on the ratchet wheel associated with the number wheel of lowest denominational order, said pins slidably engaging said driven gear for maintaining driving engagement therewith during axial displacement of said shaft, a stop pin on said frame, holes in said driven gear adapted to be aligned with said stop pin in the full figure positions of said number wheel for receiving said stop pin to prevent rotation of said driven gear when said shaft is displaced, reset means for rotating said shaft in said one direction during a first reset cycle to partially reset said number wheels and for rotating said shaft another 180 during a second reset cycle to fully reset said number wheels, and control means in said reset means for maintaining said shaft in axially displaced position during its rotation and between said first and second reset cycles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,285,825 Moriarty June 9, 1942 

